Chapter 163: Proposal ; Assassin

Did I hear that correctly? Henrietta wishes to marry me?

I did think that our relationship seemed a little off, but I hadn't considered this possibility.

Also, the reason she gave? No way that is the truth. I mean, our respective kingdoms have been allied with no issues for some time now, so I find it suspicious that she wishes to form a "permanent alliance" through marriage.

At most, this would calm the citizens down by making them believe that the relationship between the reborn Albion and Tristan is a firm one.

Naturally, I won't embarrass Henrietta, 'my' cousin in front of everyone, so I will go along with her for now, and see what she actually has in mind at a later interval.

Just as I'm about to voice my thoughts regarding the matter, the rude guy from before slams the table and exclaims,

"I object!"

Looks like this guy hasn't learned his lesson yet.

As a response to his exclamation, Henrietta furrows her brows, depicting extreme displeasure as she inquires,

"Is something wrong, Veer de Gramont?"

Gramont? Is this guy Guiche's elder brother? Now that I think about it, he does look quite similar to him.

That's especially the case once his blonde hair and disdainful aura are taken into consideration.

"Yes, Princess," he responds while placing an emphasis on the word 'princess'.

I reckon that's his way of belittling her power by calling her as such instead of 'queen'.

"I refuse to accept such a marriage," he continues, "Albion is not worthy of Tristain. That's particularly the case if we think about the recent rebellion."

Exasperated, I let out a sigh before saying, "You're not worthy enough to judge Albion in any way. So, you either shut your mouth or I do it for you."

"How dare you speak like this in front of-"

Having had enough of this, I simply use telekinesis to lift him from his seat and hurl him toward the door with enough force to break it.

The two guards that were patiently doing their job outside the room are both confounded by the sight of a noble being thrown out like trash.

"So, is there someone that would like to share their opinion?" I ask once I've switched my attention back to the men seated at the table.

After a few seconds of absolute silence, I lean back on my seat and say,

"I take that as a no."

Shaking my head, I look Henrietta in the eyes and inquire in a neutral tone,

"What's your true intentions for forming this permanent alliance?"

My words seem to be what everyone else has been wondering, as they all immediately lock eyes onto the young princess.

The reason I asked Henrietta this question is so that she may explain her actions to those present. I believe that she wouldn't want to displease everyone, so I granted her an opportunity to prevent that.

Henrietta, being the smart lass she is, quickly realizes my intention as a small smile forms on her lips.

"Trading," Henrietta says after a few seconds, "I seek a relationship between our kingdoms that would allow trading resources and materials that normally wouldn't be traded."

Huh? Is there something like that?

"Do you mind specifying what you wish to trade with?"

"Of course," she replies, "Wind-stones and blueprints."

The moment the words leave her mouth, looks of shock become apparent on the men's face as they all disbelievingly gawk at her.

One glare from me seems to shut them all up as they all meekly sit back in their seats with displeasure all over their face.

From the looks of it, she's asking for something ridiculous, so I'm hoping that she has something just as ridiculous to trade.

"You should be aware of how much that is worth," I say, "So, you should know that only something of equal worth can be traded for it, right?"

"Indeed. I'm willing to exchange elixirs for those."

This time, the shock is much more intense as several men stand up from their seats while some begin shouting words of objection.

"Elixirs?" I ask, intrigued.

"That's right," she responds, "We've been using the gems extracted from the enemies to create elixirs that increase the power of men, even if they aren't nobility."

So, it's like a buffing potion, huh? That sounds like an interesting deal, as it would not only strengthen my army but also provide new research material for my researchers.

In the long term, this will bring a lot of benefits to my kingdom, so there is no reason to refuse.

Of course, I will make sure that the elixirs have no unwanted side effects before letting my soldiers use them.

"Then, this matter is settled," I say, "When is the marriage ceremony?"

An expression of pure joy forms on Henrietta's face for a split-second before it shifts back to normal as she says,

"It would be great if we go through with it sometime soon."

"In that case, I will leave the details and planning to you. Meanwhile, I will deal with Gallia's men in the southwest."

Anyway, I'm curious about what Henrietta has in mind. Well, I will find that out in the future, so I should focus on the more important matters for now.

---

Feeling a warm and soft feeling against my chest, I open my eyes just to be met with a pair of blue eyes looking at me.

"Is something wrong, Tia?" I ask with a smile on my lips.

As a response to my inquiry, Tiamat moves her head closer to me and kisses me as her body temperature begins rising.

After a few seconds, I break the kiss and get up from the bed.

"What are you planning to do?" she asks as I begin changing into my 'noble' attire.

"Destroy a kingdom," I reply.

Hearing this, Tiamat has a slightly confused look on her face as she says,

"With the power and means at your disposal, couldn't you have done this sooner?"

Shaking my head, I say,

"There is a chance that some unexpected enemy might appear and completely ruin everything, so I must act cautiously at all times.

"Besides, why should I do all the work myself? What be the point of becoming a king if all I do is personally deal with any trouble that arises instead of making use of my subjects."

Seemingly understanding what I mean, Tiamat nods her head before asking,

"So, you're planning to use this Platform as your main base?"

"That's right," I reply.

The reason I'm looking for the Core is for no other reason than that.

I will continue to strengthen the foundation of my kingdom until it can't be matched by any other force.

Then, I will have an army of ridiculously powerful men under me, ready to deal with any issues that may arise in the future.

After a few seconds, I'm completely dressed up, so I approach Tiamat and kiss her supply lips one last time before leaving the Familiar Space.

As soon as arrive back in Sorcerers' Lair, time slows down as everything around me seems to lose color.

I quickly examine my surroundings, only to find a pink-haired girl with green eyes attacking me from behind using a dagger.

The girl resembles Sheffield in a way as she has two short black streaks under her eyes similar to Sheffield and long hair reaching her hips.

Her attire is also intriguing as it seems to be the combination of a luxurious noble dress and maid outfit. It's black and white and there are frills here and there. All in all, it suits her rather well.

As for the dagger she's carrying, it seems to be coated in some kind of poison, making me curious about something. What happens if poison is injected into my body?

With that in mind, I decide to try it out, and if things take a turn for the worst, I could just call Tiamat out.

Time seems to become fast once against as the dagger pierces through my back.

A weird sensation spreads around in my body, but it doesn't last for long as my returns to its usual state.

So, poison is ineffective, huh? At least, this one didn't amount to much.

"This guy faced a whole army on his own?" the girl behind me mutters disbelievingly.

"I knew they were just rumors," she continues before walking past me and standing right in front of me.

"You were weak," she says while grinning.

Unable to hold back anymore, I begin chuckling while telekinetically pulling the dagger out of my back and placing it in my hand.

The girl is now alarmed as she examines me from head to toe, most likely looking for a weakness to take advantage of.

I've got to admit, this girl is a skillful one.

Is she perchance an assassin sent to deal with me? That's very likely to be the case.

"Little do you know," I mock the girl while looking into her eyes, "You're the weak one."

Hopefully, she will be an entertaining individual…